Pakaru Pānui kaimahi and rangatahi leader Amaiah King.
Pakaru Pānui kaimahi and rangatahi leader Amaiah King.
Toi Matarua is a rangatahi/youth programme to help enable rangatahi to navigate their future by becoming leaders within their communities. It was established in 2011 as a “by rangatahi, for rangatahi” performing arts group to help understand mental health and suicide prevention.
The programme has now transformed into an emerging rangatahi-led research organisation that specialises in health and wellbeing, social and justice issues pertaining to Māori.
The founder of the organisation is 30-year-old Charlizza Matehe, who started the programme as a young woman in her teens. Charlizza is a living product of the by-rangatahi, for-rangatahi concept.
“I started this programme when I realised the need to tautoko/support my peers who were experiencing social and justice issues,” Charlizza said.
“The greatest blessing of being a part of this journey is being able to see rangatahi believe in themselves and make changes in their lives to reach their full potential.
“I am blessed to be a part of the rangatahi and I am so proud of their efforts and desire to take up the opportunities to train and upskill to become better leaders within their circles.”
Toi Matarua offers leadership training to help youth learn ways to be great examples to each other.
Joseph Curtis is a Pakaru Pānui kaimahi and rangatahi leader.
One of the programmes organised by Toi Matarua is Tū Tārake, which refers to a star that shines brightest in the night sky. This name is fitting because the focus of the programme encourages rangatahi to step up, be brave, and shine bright by becoming leaders in their homes, kura and communities. The programme is delivered through wānanga on the marae and provides meaningful mentorship and exposure to other kaupapa across Aotearoa.
A great deal of time is spent in the community holding events.
“Our rangatahi leaders host events for the wider community like our annual Kia Au, Ko Au Matariki Sunrise Rave,” Charlizza said.
“We have two streams of rangatahi employment, MokoBoys and Pakaru Pānui. This means some of our rangatahi get to have a taste of work life while still in school and also make some pūtea/money along the way.
“The MokoBoys go over to kaumātua houses, mow their lawns, clean their whare, and help with their māra kai/vege gardens. Kaumātua can call on the MokoBoys at any time for assistance. This is both rewarding for the kaumātua and the rangatahi.
“Communicating is important to us, which is why Toi Matarua has employed our expert rangatahi communications team known as Pakaru Pānui to lead all of our online community engagement. We manage our TikTok, Instagram and we have our own website where you can read more about Toi Matarua and what we do. We are also lucky enough to have this monthly spot in the Tihei Kahungunu so we will be keeping you up to date with local rangatahi news, events, discussions etc over the year.
Joseph Curtis is one of the Pakaru Pānui kaimahi and rangatahi leaders.
“Being a part of this kaupapa I have been able to upskill as a leader, learn about other indigenous cultures, travel and even debut as a journalist. One of my dreams is to become a journalist so I was connected with a Māori radio broadcaster who did a mentoring programme with me. This year I will be interviewing people in our community doing amazing things,” Joseph said.
Amaiah King is a Pakaru Pānui kaimahi and rangatahi leader alongside Joseph.
“Through Toi Matarua l have learned to be more organised, and have gained more confidence and new skills. This kaupapa has brought me many new opportunities such as travelling abroad to learn about different cultures, and I have built a passion for photography, which is something I now look to do in the future. This year l would like to continue my photography journey by telling stories through my pictures and showcasing the unseen things happening in our community.”
If you are a young person based in Hawke’s Bay or have a young person in your whānau who you think might like to get involved in Toi Matarua, contact us by visiting www.toimatarua.com or email us at pakarupanui@toimatarua.co.nz
